OCTAVIAN COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
THE HALLS
8:25 AM
October 31st
The girls always turned heads when they walked the halls of OCD, but when the four Dirty Devils passed, students stood in awe.
They looked striking and confident in their matching costumes. Like a gang of sexy fembots on a mission to take over suburbia. Everyone who passed either complimented them on their daring outfits or told them how excited they were about the party.
“This is a huge mistake,” Kristen muttered.
“Why?” Massie asked. She didn't look at Kristen when she spoke because that would ruin the blank runway model stare she was working for the crowd. It felt great to be wearing something new, and she didn't want Kristen's insecurities to ruin the moment.
“OCD has a pretty strict ‘no skin’ policy and we're breaking it on like five different counts,” Kristen said. “According to the OCD manual, we're supposed to be covered from the top of our boobs to an inch above our knees and—”
“Puh-lease,” Alicia chimed in. “It's Halloween. No one will care.”
“Yeah and even if they do, so what?” Dylan added. “The last skimpy outfit I was thin enough to fit into was designed by Pampers.”
By third period there had been at least four Dirty Devil wanna-be sightings. By lunch there were eight.
“There's another one,” Alicia said, pointing to Jaedra Russell.
She was ahead of them in line at the Café, wearing a super-short jean skirt and a black V-neck that had been torn just below the ribs.
“We've started more trends in one day than Marc Jacobs has in a year,” Kristen said.
They slid their trays a few inches closer to the cash register.
“Aren't you so glad to be one of us?” Massie said to her friends, then answered her ringing cell phone.
“Speaking,” she said with an eye roll. “It's AUDREY,” she mouthed.
“You'll be at the party tonight? … Well, I'd be excited too if I was you … really excited, considering you've never been invited to one of my parties before.” Massie covered the mouthpiece so she could join her friends, who were hysterically laughing. “How did you get my number? … Really. Are you sure it didn't say Claire? You never were a good reader… .”
Dylan grabbed the cell phone away from Massie's ear and pressed end. The girls cracked up. Audrey called back, but this time Massie hit ignore and dropped the phone in her Prada messenger bag.
“That's the fifth call I've gotten this week from an LBR,” Massie said. “And unfortunately every one of them has RSVP'd ‘yes.’”
“Is Derrington coming?” Dylan asked as she pulled the loose skirt up over her hips.
“Yup, and so are all of his cute friends,” Massie said.
Trays in hand, the four girls made their way through the sea of lunch tables, stopping every so often to chat with their adoring fans about the highly anticipated boy-girl party that was only hours away.
“Massie, is it true that Landon Dorsey is doing your party?” Mandy Ross asked.
“Totally,” Massie said. “She said this party is going to be one of her best.”
“Will there be sugar-free candy?” Suze Gayner asked.
“If Dylan's Candy Bar makes it, we'll have it,” Massie said.
“Are you guys wearing the Dirty Devil costumes tonight or do you have something else planned?” Vanessa Covers asked.
“You'll have to wait and find out.” Kristen shook her glittery butt.
“Can I bring a dance mix I burned last night?” Ava Waters said.
“Totally.”
“Is it true that Becca Wilder thought of the boy-girl party first?” Parker Lemons asked.
“What do you think?” Massie looked Parker straight in the eye. The girl responded with a nervous giggle.
“We should have held a press conference,” Massie said when she sat down.
“Seriously,” Dylan said. “Can you believe Allyson asked if your house had any good make-out spots?”
“I know,” Kristen said. “Hopefully the only thing going on her lips tonight is a tube of ChapStick. Did you see all those cracks?”
“Any more calls from your new BFFs, aka the LBRs?” Alicia asked Massie.
“Jocelyn was telling everyone in math that she spoke to you this morning before school,” Kristen said.
“No way!” Massie said.
“I swear. Then two seconds later Liza and Hope said they spoke to you last night,” Dylan said. “I think Hope even said you guys talked for hours.”
“NO WAY!”
“I heard that too,” Kristen said.
“Ehmagod, that can't be good for your reputation.” Alicia twisted open her bottle of Perrier and the whole thing fizzed over and soaked her California rolls.
“Great, thanks a lot,” Alicia said to a stranger at the table behind her.
“How is that my fault?” the girl said.
Alicia didn't respond.
“Did you tell everyone Hope was lying?” Massie asked Dylan.
“I was about to, but the teacher walked in.”
Massie's head started to spin. The sound of everyone talking in the Café suddenly seemed too loud to bear and the dirt smell of the grilling veggie burgers made her want to puke.
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She waited for the panic to pass before she spoke.
“If Hope and the other LBRs are saying I've been talking to them on the phone, people might think I like them. I'll be ruined.”
“That is brutal,” Kristen said. “How did they get your number?”
Massie had a hunch but was interrupted before she could answer.
“Can I talk to you for a minute?” Claire asked. She was wearing a faded Good Charlotte concert tee and a loose patchy jean skirt. Both were obviously borrowed from Layne.
“Go ahead,” Massie said.
“I mean in private,” Claire said.
“She's gonna tell us everything you say, so you might as well just talk to her here,” Dylan said.
“Fine.” Claire pushed her bangs to the side of her forehead and tried to tuck them behind her ear, but they weren't quite long enough to make it. “I thought we were going to wear the same costumes tonight.”
“We are.” Massie's voice was flat and impatient.
“Yeah, but now I can't wear mine because all the boys will think I went home after school and copied you,” Claire explained.
“Believe me, none of the boys will be giving you or your costume a second thought tonight,” Massie said. “Besides, how are they going to know what we wore to school today?”
“Supposedly everyone at Briarwood has already heard about your sexy costumes,” Claire said. “The boys have been talking about them all day.”
“Really?” Massie's face lit up. She forgot all about the Losers Beyond Repair for a second.
“Why didn't you tell me you were going to wear your costumes today?” Claire asked. Her voice trembled. “I could have worn mine too.”
Massie stood up and placed her hands on her hips.
“Normally I would make up an excuse so I wouldn't have to tell you straight to your face that I never wanted you to be a part of our costumes. But since you decided to put my cell phone number on every loser's invitation in the greater New York area, I'm not going to bother,” Massie said. “Who cares what our mothers say at this point? The party is a done deal. Go be Elmo or whatever it was you were going to be and leave me alone.”
Claire opened her mouth like she was about to say something big, but before anything came out, she took off. Massie saw Layne get up from her seat by the bathrooms and chase after her. Massie secretly hoped Claire wouldn't tell on her, but she was too mad at the moment to try and stop her.
“To the Dirty Devils,” Massie said, raising her glass of lemon water.
“To the Dirty Devils,” they all repeated back.